Sep 12 L.A-Okay

September 7th marked our one year anniversary of being in California. Wow, time just goes faster and faster as I get older and older...vomit. So, here are the things I love and (dare I say) the things I dislike about living in the Los Angeles area.

Things I Love:

The weather, obviously. Today, as I write this, it's a beautiful 72 degree, sunny, late summer day by the beach. It can and will get a bit chilly, where a lightweight jacket is nice to have, but you just can't beat the sunny skies and perfect temps.

You can buy booze in the GROCERY STORE! Yeah, you read that right...and I don't just mean beer...you can buy liquor and wine! Talk about one-stop shopping! So efficient for a lush like me.

Abundance of outdoor activities right out my door. There's the beach, where my husband and I get into super competitive beach/paddle tennis matches or beach volleyball. Water sports like SUP, surfing, bodyboarding. Hiking trails in Palos Verdes (and several other areas we have yet to explore) with stunning views of the Pacific. The Strand runs from Palos Verdes up to Pacific Palisades (I think it's like 22 miles total) and you can bike, rollerblade, skateboard, walk, whatever. My gym has a heated outdoor pool and I'm becoming quite good at freestyle...the breaststroke is a completely different story though. But you get where I'm going...there's lots of things to do outside.

Having a car. I missed having one SO much. There was no reason for us to have one in NYC, so I haven't had a car since college...like 10 years ago. What's better than opening the sunroof and rolling down all the windows when cruising around on beautiful days? Nothing, I tell you, nothing! Plus, I enjoy being in my own space during my commute. Yay, the days of smelly, packed subway trains are gone, as well as trekking 20 minutes in snow or rain!

People are friendly and laid back! Granted, we don't live in Beverly Hills where the ritzy, fancy people live, but for the most part, people I encounter daily are genuinely nice and easy-going. Even fast food workers are friendly...amazing!

Things I dislike:

Traffic. I know, I know...everyone complains about the traffic. It's actually not THAT bad most days. It's just on days like one earlier last week where I had only travelled 2 miles in 31 minutes. That's just fucking pathetic and ridiculous.

It barely rains. I'd prefer sunshine to rain, but sometimes you just really want a lazy, rainy weekend. And a free car wash.

Restaurants closing at 9pm on the weekends. Again, we don't live in proper Los Angeles...we live in a beach town...and it's frustrating to want to eat later and only have fast food options available.

So, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. I'm sure both of my lists will grow within another year, but overall I'm happy we made the move, and am much happier out here than I was back in NYC.

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It's clear to see what my 2017 was like. Although it was a year of challenges, it also had the greatest reward. Thank you for being with me on my incredible journey this year, your words of encouragement to keep me going, and your jokes to keep my spirits up. Cheers to 2018! Happy New Year! #tothefullestblog #nye2017 #happynewyear2018 #leilarose #babygirlgonzo #redondobeach #calilife #blogger #2017bestnine